Especially right now, getting a house, living in a house, and trying to make your house a home is an expensive pursuit. There’s not much that can be done about it – if you need a house, you’ll have the play the current market – but there are steps along the way that can be made easier and even free in some instances.
Luckily, we’re not restricted to local businesses for our house-getting needs anymore, nor do we need to only rely on local expertise. Due to how competitive the internet has made business, you can find experts, professionals, and services online who offer help without charge, with these being the services that you should consider getting for free.
Free and accurate mortgage in principle
If you’re in the market for a new home, you’ll know that the biggest expenses to expect are the deposit and subsequent mortgage. However, there are many, many other little services and professional jobs that rack up the price of getting a home. There are some ways to cut these costs, though.
One element of this process that you can make easier and free of charge is getting a mortgage in principle (MIP). The Trussle online broker platform will calculate how much you can borrow with a MIP by checking your eligibility against 18 lenders. Doing it this way also won’t be at a cost to your credit score as they use a soft credit check. So, for free, you can find out exactly how much you can borrow and download the MIP for use.
Free and smart way to save money
Smart meters (SM) aren’t anything new, and you’ll likely find that a new home – or at least a modern home – has a smart meter installed when you move in. However, while SMs can show you the cost of running appliances or utilities each day, they don’t tend to be smart enough to directly save you money themselves.
To do this, you need an application that will make your smart meters even smarter. The Loop app analyses your SM data and identifies how you can save money. It’s free to install and use, with users averaging a ten percent cut in their energy use. Along with this, you’ll be able to test your solar compatibility and see how green you are in your home. You do need to input card details to verify your location, but you won’t be charged.
Free and helpful DIY guides
Decorating your home is a gradual process, but it can certainly be expensive. Modern, top-of-the-line home décor certainly isn’t cheap for what it is – an aesthetic addition – so if you can work out a way of decorating cheaply, it’s certainly worth a go. For this, there are few better ways than through some DIY décor.
Your decorations are what makes a house your home, and this is doubly true when you make the decorations or even the furniture yourself. Of course, not all of us can just come up with a project and make a good product at the end. To help with this, turn to the Instructables platform, which is loaded with DIY tutorials from experts and enthusiasts. You’ll find loads of great ideas and instructions on how to create them yourself.
Using the free online platforms above, you’ll be able to save time and money on getting a house, powering it, and transforming it into your home.